Fire-escape



(No Model.)

a. LARKIN.

FIRE ESCAPE. No. 356,591. Patented Jan. 25, I887.

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GEORGE LARKINQ OF SEYMOUR, WISCONSIN.

FlRE=ESCAPE.

SEPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,591, dated January 25, 1887.

Application filed December 1, 1886. Serial No. 220,396. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonen LARKIN, of Seymour, in the county of Outagamie and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following: to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in extension fire-escapes; and it consists in the combination of a suitable frame-work, an operatingshaft journaled therein, ropes which are connected to theshaft, and which, after being passed around pulleys connected to the lower bent arms, are fastened to the framework, blocks to which the lower bent arms are pivoted and which slide back and forth in suitable grooves, the arms which comprise the lazy -tongs or extension, the eyebolts which building at the same time that the cxtension is run up, to brace the lazy-tongs while in a raised position by means of ropes connected to the ladder, and to hold the ladder against anylateral movement by means of hooks,which are connected to it and hooked under a. projection upon the building.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an extension fire-escape to which my invention is applied, aporticn of the frame-work being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fireescape.

A represents a suitable frame-work of any suitable description, and which is mounted upon wheels, so as to be readily drawn from place to place, and which frame has a suitable slot made through its top, where the lower ends of the two lower arms of the lazytong frame or extension pass through. Placed just under the top of the frame, and upon opposite sides of the slot, are the sliding blocks A, be tween which the lower ends of the arms are pivoted. These blocks, being held in suitable guides, Q, or ways, serve as supports to the entire lazy-tongs and the ladder when in a raised position, and as guides to the lower arms in their movements back and forthin the slots. The lower ends of these arms B are bent *or curved, as shown, so that the strain of the two ropes 0 may be applied more directly thereto, and thus the arms are caused to operate the other portions of the lazy-tongs more readily and easily than could be done if the ends of these arms were straight. Running lengthwise of the frame are the four timbers Q, which have their inner ends to rest upon the central crosstimber, 12-, and their outer ends to rest upon the end pieces of the frame.

Formed on the inner sides of the four timbers Q are the grooves S, in which the four blocks A'slide back and forth, according as the lazy-tongs are being extended or contracted. The lower ends, 13, of the lazy-tongs pass between the sliding blocks, as shown in Fig. 1, and are pivotally connected thereto by means of suitable pivotal bolts. The ends of the timbers Q are sunk in suitable mortises in the central cross-timber, R, and the ends of the frame, so that they are securely held in their proper position by the top of the frame when secured thereon. To each of these curved ends is fastened a pulley, D, around which the ropes O are passed. The inner ends of the ropes are fastened to the shaft F, so that when the shaft is made to revolve, by means of a crank applied to one end, the two ends of the arms B are drawn toward each other, and thus the lazy-tong frame or extension is made to rise upward in front of the building, for the purpose of elevating the ladder.

The ropes Gare wound around the shaft in opposite directions, so that as the shaft is made to revolve in one direction the lazy-tong frame is made to shoot upward. and when the shaft is turned in the opposite direction the ropes are relaxed, so that the weight of the frame and the ladder will cause them to descend. Placed upon the outer end of the shaft is a ratchetwheel, V, with which thepawl \V, which is pivoted upon the frame, engages. This ratchet wheel and pawl are provided for the purpose ofholding the lazy-tongs in a raised position by preventing the cords which pass around it and have their ends secured to the lower ends of the plied to the bolts upon each side of the ends of the pieces which comprise the frame, and these washers serve to strengthen and brace the parts at the same time that they allow the ends of the parts to move without being worn or injured by the bolts. The upper ends of the two upper pieces of thelazy-tongs are made to incline toward the building upon the side to which the ladder is attached, and these upper ends are made to catch under a window-frame, or some projecting part of the building, so as to brace and steady the lazy-tongs in position.

The upper end of the ladderis fastened to a rope, wire, or chain, J, which is secured to the extreme upper ends of the lazy-tongs, and then the ladder hangs down from that side of the lazy-tongs which is inclined toward the building.

The ends of the dififerent pieces which coniprise the lazy-tongs are fastened together by means of eyebolts G, to which the ropes H are fastened atone end. The other ends of the ropes H are fastened to the ladder, and these ropes serve to brace and strengthen the lazy-tongs whilein a raised position. These ropes are arranged in pairs, so as to be attached to each side of the ladder and the lazy-tongs, and they increase in length from the top downward, owing to the fact that the ladder is farther away at its lower end from the base of the lazy-tongs than at any other part, owing to the inclination of the lazy-tongs. After the lazy-tongs have been run up the end of the ladder is drawn outward away from the lazy-tongs, so as to draw the ropes H taut, and then the ladder has its lower end fastened in position by means of the hooks L, which are connected to one of its rounds, and which hooks are made to catch over a window-sill or upon some part of the building.

The lastjoint of the lazy-tongs is formed by means of an eyebolt, which has its head ex tended outward on the opposite side of the lazy-tongs from the one to which the ladder is attached. To this eyebolt is fastened a rope, O, by means of which the upper portion of the .lazy-tongs can be steadied and braced while being raised or lowered,and"after it isinaraised position. As the ladder exerts a pull on one side of the lazy-tongs another pull is exerted 1 upon the opposite side by the rope O, and thus the two strains upon the lazy-tongs are made to equalize one another.

Having thus described my invention, I clai 111-- 1. The combination of theframe-work, the

arms B of the lazy-tong frame, having their lower ends bent and pivoted to blocks which slide in suitable grooves on the inner side of the supporting-timbers Q, the shaft, the ropes, and the pulleys connected to their lower ends with 1 the ladder, the eyebolts G, connected to the lazy: tong frame, the ropes H, connected to the eyebolts, and the ladder, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the lazy-tong frame, a

suitableframe-work upon which it is mounted,

and a mechanism for extendingit with thelad- Vitnesses:

Domran H. STEVENSON, G. H. FEWING. 

